Effects of dominant/subordinate social status on formalin-induced pain and changes in serum proinflammatory cytokine concentrations in mice

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 20;8(11):e80650. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080650. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Current investigations regarding social stress primarily focus on the health consequences of being in stressful social hierarchies. The repetitive nature of social conflicts seems to favor an induction of hyperalgesia or hypoalgesia, both in rodents and humans. Additionally, social conflicts may affect the immune system. In order to better establish the pain and immune responses to stress, the present study implemented a sensory contact model on 32 male BALB/c mice. Subsequent to establishing a dominance/submissive social relationship, each mouse was injected with formalin (20 μl, 2%) and their pain behavior was scored and serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-6, and corticosterone were also measured. Test results revealed that subordinate mice were hypoalgesic during chronic phase of formalin test compared to control and dominant mice (P<0.05). On the other hand, subordinate mice were hyperalgesic compared to dominant mice during the whole acute phase of formalin test (P<0.05). Corticosterone, IL-1 and IL-6 concentrations were much higher in serum of dominant and subordinate mice than in the control group (p<0.05). The results indicated that, although both dominant and subordinate animals displayed an increase in serum corticosterone and proinflammatory cytokines during social interactions, their response to pain perception differently was affected with the social status.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight
  • Corticosterone / blood
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dominance-Subordination*
  • Formaldehyde
  • Inflammation Mediators / blood*
  • Interleukin-1 / blood*
  • Interleukin-6 / blood*
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Pain / blood*
  • Pain / complications
  • Pain / psychology*
  • Stress, Psychological / blood
  • Stress, Psychological / complications

Substances

  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Interleukin-1
  • Interleukin-6
  • Formaldehyde
  • Corticosterone

Grants and funding

This research was provided by financial support and supervision of Shahed Medical University (grant number: 87/14/A/P). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.